Blueberry plant named ‘MAGNUS’

ABSTRACT

‘MAGNUS’ is a new and distinct southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) variety distinguished at least by a low chilling requirement, upright growth habit, good field disease resistance, and large, firm fruit that are sweet with small, dry picking scars.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Vacciniumcorymbosum L.

Variety denomination: ‘MAGNUS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct hybrid variety ofsouthern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) named ‘MAGNUS’.‘MAGNUS’ is a blueberry clone that can be distinguished at least by itslow chilling requirement and vigorous, upright bush habit. ‘MAGNUS’ canalso be distinguished at least by its large, firm berries that ripenfrom early mid-April through May when grown as a deciduous plant innorth central Florida and south Georgia. ‘MAGNUS’ has been asexuallypropagated by softwood stem cuttings in Gainesville and Waldo, Fla., andthe resulting plants have all been phenotypically indistinguishable fromthe original plant.

‘MAGNUS’ originated as a seedling from a cross between ‘Emerald’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 12,165) as the female (seed) parent and ‘FL00-58’(unpatented) as the male (pollen) parent. This cross was made inGainesville, Fla. in February 2001. The seedling was planted in ahigh-density field nursery in May 2002, and the first fruit wereevaluated in April 2003. ‘MAGNUS’ was first asexually propagated inGainesville, Fla. by softwood stem cuttings in 2004. After the secondyear of fruiting in the field, in the spring of 2004, ‘MAGNUS’ waspropagated by softwood stem cuttings, and an experimental 15-plant testplot was established as part of a variety test at Windsor, Fla., inJanuary 2005. At this time, the experimental code ‘FL04-213’ wasassigned to ‘MAGNUS’. Based on the growth, yield, and fruit quality ofthis plot, ‘MAGNUS’ was repropagated by softwood stem cuttings andadditional experimental test plots ranging from 5 to 45 plants wereestablished in experimental research trials. These plots have beenobserved during flowering and ripening each year, and no mutations oroff-type plants have been observed.

‘Emerald,’ the female parent of ‘MAGNUS’, is an important variety thatis planted throughout the southeastern United States. ‘MAGNUS’ is knownto be most similar to ‘Emerald’. ‘MAGNUS’ and ‘Emerald’ aredistinguishable at least in their growth habit and fruit maturity date.Specifically, ‘MAGNUS’ displays a more upright growth habit and producesearlier fruit than ‘Emerald’. Additionally, ‘MAGNUS’ exhibits a smallerleaf length and leaf width than ‘Emerald’. ‘MAGNUS’ also has higherearly fruit yield than its male parent, ‘FL00-58’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are characteristics of ‘MAGNUS’ when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Florida. ‘MAGNUS’ exhibits a low chillingrequirement, particularly for the flower buds; a vigorous, uprightgrowth habit; earlier ripening; and large, firm, sweet berries withsmall, dry picking scars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This new southern highbush blueberry plant is illustrated by theaccompanying photographs, which show the plant's typical form, foliage,and fruit. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1—Shows the plant of ‘Magnus’.

FIG. 2—Shows ‘Magnus’ berries during the fruit ripening season.

FIG. 3—Shows a close-up of harvested ‘Magnus’ berries.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description sets forth distinctivecharacteristics of ‘MAGNUS’. The data that define these characteristicswere collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Florida. Theplant history was taken on a plot of plants growing in an experimentaltrial near Windsor, Fla. The plant was 5 years of age when the data wascollected. Certain characteristics may vary with plant age. ‘MAGNUS’ hasnot been observed under all possible environmental conditions, and themeasurements given may vary when grown in different environments. Colordescriptions are based on The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.)Colour Chart by The Royal Horticultural Society, London, Fifth Edition,2007. If any R.H.S. color designations below differ from theaccompanying photographs, the R.H.S. color designations are accurate.

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Ericaceae.        -   Botanical.—Vaccinium corymbosum L.        -   Common name.—Southern Highbush Blueberry.        -   Cultivar name.—‘MAGNUS’.-   Plant:    -   -   Plant vigor.—Medium to high.        -   Growth habit.—Upright.        -   Plant height.—1.84 m on average for 5-year-old plant.        -   Plant spread.—1.49 m on average for 5-year-old plant.        -   Flowers bud density along flowering twigs in January.—High.        -   Twigginess.—Medium.        -   Tendency toward evergreenness.—Medium-Low.        -   Productivity.—3-4.5 kg per season from 5-year-old plants in            Northeast Florida when hand harvested.        -   Chilling requirement.—200 hours below 7° C.        -   Cold hardiness.—Has been grown in temperate climates with            extremely cold winter temperatures. Plants have survived            winter freezes of −7° C. with minimal damage.        -   Ease of propagation.—Has only been propagated from softwood            stem cuttings, where the rooting percentage is greater than            80% and comparable to other varieties.-   Trunk and branches:    -   -   Suckering tendency.—Medium-Low.        -   Surface texture (strong, 12-month-old shoots observed in            October).—Smooth.        -   Surface texture (3-year-old and older wood).—Moderate Rough            (amount of texture and feeling of bark).        -   Color of new twigs observed in the field.—Fan 3 yellow-green            group 151A.        -   Color of 3-year-old, rough textured canes.—Fan 4 greyed            white group 156A.        -   Internode length (strong, upright shoots measured in            June).—Mean of 18.7 mm.-   Leaves:    -   -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate, Fibonacci Spiral.        -   Length.—Mean of 5.0 cm.        -   Width.—Mean of 2.8 cm.        -   Petiole length.—Mean of 3.68 mm.        -   Petiole diameter.—Mean of 1.63 mm.        -   Leaf shape.—Elliptic, slight falcate as nearing the tip of            the leaf apex.        -   Leaf base shape.—Elliptic.        -   Leaf venation pattern.—Reticulate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Color.—Upper surface: Fan 3 yellow-green group 146A. Lower            surface: Fan 3 yellow-green group 146B. Leaf Vein Color: Fan            3 yellow-green group 146D. Leaf petiole color: Fan 3 yellow            green group 145B.        -   Pubescence.—Upper surface of leaves: No presence of            hair-like structures. Lower surface of leaves: No presence            of hair-like structures. Margins: Absent at all.        -   Timing of vegetative bud burst (early, medium, late).—Early.        -   Relative time of leafing versus flowering.—When not treated            with hydrogen cyanamide in mid-winter, leafing occurs after            flowering.-   Flowers:    -   -   Arrangement.—Flowers are arranged alternately along a short,            leafless, deciduous branch (90%) alternating on branches            with leaves (10%).        -   Fragrance.—Slight floral fragrance.        -   Shape.—Urceolate.        -   Flowering period.—50% anthesis on Feb. 7, 2018.        -   Flowers present on cluster.—Medium.        -   Flower spacing on raceme.—Medium.        -   Number of flowers per cluster.—Mean of 5.44.        -   Pedicel.—Length at time of anthesis: Mean of 5.08 mm. Color            at time of anthesis: Fan 3 yellow-green 144B with Fan 4            greyed orange group 166B on the sun exposed side.        -   Peduncle.—Length at time of anthesis: Highly variable mean            of 7.37 mm. Color at time of anthesis: Fan 3 yellow-green            group N144D with Fan 4 greyed-red group 181B on sun exposed            side.        -   Calyx.—Surface texture: Smooth. Diameter: Mean of 6.48 mm.            Color (outer surface, visible at the time of anthesis            without removing the corolla tube): Fan 3 green group 138B            to Fan 3 yellow-green group 145B on calyx lobes.        -   Corolla.—Diameter: mean of 7.34 mm. Length (from pedicel            attachment point to corolla tip excluding the pedicel): Mean            of 10.55 mm. Aperture diameter: Mean of 3.66 mm. Texture:            Smooth with slight radiations. Color: Fan 4 white group            155C. Anthocyanin coloration in corolla tube: Slight.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Style.—Length (top of ovary to stigma tip): Mean of 7.54 mm.            Color: Fan 3 yellow-green group 144B. Location of tip of            stigma relative to lip of the corolla: 1.17 mm below.        -   Anthers.—Color: Fan 4 greyed-orange group 163A. Pollen:            High. Pollen germination: Typically greater 90%. Pollen            Color: Fan 1 yellow group 4D. Filament length: 3.20 mm.            Filament width: 1.21 mm.        -   Self-fruitfulness.—Low to medium. Planting in the field            configurations that promote cross fertilization with other            southern highbush varieties is recommended for all southern            highbush blueberry plants grown in Florida.-   Fruit:    -   -   Mean date of 50% harvest in Citra, Fla.—April 18.        -   Diameter of calyx aperture on mature berry.—Mean of 5.5 mm.        -   Size and shape of calyx lobes on mature berry.—Absent to            very small, erect to incurving, with very Shallow calyx            basin.        -   Pedicel length on ripe berry.—Mean of 9.2 mm.        -   Detachment force for ripe berries (easy, medium,            hard).—Medium-hard.        -   Fruit cluster density (sparse, medium, dense).—Medium.        -   Number of berries per cluster.—Mean of 7.0.        -   Fruiting type.—On one-year-old and current season's shoots.-   Berry:    -   -   Cluster (tight, medium, loose).—Medium.        -   Weight (on well-pruned plants).—Mean of 2.9 g.        -   Height.—Mean of 14.1 mm.        -   Width.—Mean of 19.5 mm.        -   Shape.—Oblate.        -   Surface color of mature berries ripe on plant.—Fan 2            violet-blue group 95C.        -   Intensity of fruit bloom.—High.        -   Surface color of ripe berry after polishing.—Fan 4 black            group 203C.        -   Immature berry color, with bloom.—Fan 3 green group 142D.        -   Immature berry color, without bloom.—Fan 3 green group 143D.        -   Flesh color.—Fan 4 green and white group 157C.        -   Surface wax.—Medium to high surface wax. The surface wax on            Magnus has medium to high surface wax persistence.        -   Pedicel scar.—Small and dry. Mean of 1.98 mm.        -   Firmness.—Very firm. Mean 195 g/mm.        -   Flavor.—Sweet, with some acid hints.        -   Intensity of fruit sweetness.—Medium.        -   Texture.—Good texture (firm, non-mealy flesh), and no stone            cells present.        -   Fruit storage quality.—Fruit is unusually firm and can be            stored without shriveling, mold or loss of firmness for 2            weeks at 4° C.-   Seeds:    -   -   Color of dried seeds.—Fan 4 greyed orange group 177B.        -   Weight of well-developed dried seeds (25 seeds).—Mean of            12.8 mg.        -   Length of well-developed dried seeds.—Mean of 1.6 mm.        -   Width of well-developed dried seeds.—Mean of 0.78 mm.-   Use: ‘MAGNUS’ produces southern highbush blueberries suitable for    both the fresh and processed fruit markets.-   Resistance to diseases, insects, and mites: ‘MAGNUS’ has grown    vigorously and shows excellent bush survival in the field. It    appears to be tolerant to stem blight (Botryosphaeria spp.) and root    rot (Phytophthora cinnamoni), with almost no young plants dying soon    after planting. ‘MAGNUS’ is part of the 3% of selections that    survived with over 95% of plants in the plot alive after 8-years in    a high disease field planting. The reaction of ‘MAGNUS’ to the    various fungal species that cause summer leaf spots is typical of    other southern highbush varieties, and fungicide applications may be    needed after harvest to reduce foliar diseases and retain leaves    into the fall for maximum flower bud set. Susceptibility to typical    blueberry insect and mite pathogens such as spotted wing drosophila    (Drosophila suzukii), blueberry gall midge (Dasineura oxycoccana),    and blueberry bud mite (Acalitus vaccini) is similar to other    southern highbush cultivars.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of southern highbushblueberry plant named ‘MAGNUS’, as illustrated and described herein.